Thursday, October 21, 2010

Fire Press Release

ISSUING OFFICER: Bob Green/Battalion Chief
DATE OF INCIDENT: 10/20/2010
INCIDENT TYPE: Structure Fire
INCIDENT ADDRESS: 2709 W Broadway
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99201

NARRATIVE: The Spokane City Fire Department dispatched fire fighting crews and their apparatus to 2709 W Broadway at 05:57 hrs in the early morning of Wednesday, October 20th, for a reported house fire. The first arriving fire crews, from the historic Browne's Addition neighborhood, reported a 1.5 story wood/frame dwelling with lazy smoke issuing from the roof and a dormer window. While additional resources were nearing the house, those initial crews were entering the building to determine what was causing the smoke and where the source of the smoke was located. The crews discovered a smoldering type fire located in the ceiling space above the kitchen area. With fully charged hose lines in place inside the dwelling the crews began pulling down the ceilings in not only the kitchen but also in adjacent rooms to get at the slow moving fire that had already done considerable damage to the structural components of the ceiling and the underside of the roof. It took about 20 minutes for the initial crews and some of the later arriving crews to dig out the fire and to get it fully extinguished. There were no reports of any injuries to the fire fighters at the scene or to the owner of the home. The owner was awakened by a loud noise from the kitchen, discovered a ceiling fixture which had fallen to the floor, noticed a bright orange glow coming from the hole left in the ceiling by the fallen fixture, called the Fire Dept. for assistance, and then safely exited her home. Unfortunately there will have to be extensive repairs done to the structure before it can be occupied again, the owner has indicated that she will be staying with friends and/or family until those repairs can be made. Initial indications are that the fire was electrical in nature and an investigator from the City Fire Dept.'s Special Investigation Unit arrived on scene to pin point the exact nature of the possible electrical malfunction. Three pumpers, two ladder trucks, a heavy rescue apparatus, and two Command vehicles delivered 22 firefighters to the scene of this fire.

PROBABLE CAUSE: Unknown electrical type of malfunction in the building's electrical system.
DAMAGE EXTENT: Considerable damage to the structural mebers of the ceiling and the underside of the roof above the kitchen area, smoke damage throughout the structure.
DOLLAR LOSS: 30,000
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 22
MUTUAL AID: None Given

For more information on this release, please call (509)625-7002 and/or check out the SFD Blog at www.spokanefire.blogspot.com

END OF RELEASE

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